Although now playing for Spain, the Latvian-born Alexei Shirov's firey sacrificial style is still very reminiscent of another great Latvian, ex-world champion Mikhail Tal. Shirov set a scorching pace in the Corus A tournament at Wijk Aan Zee last month, starting with five straight wins. Some bad luck in the remainder of the event meant these were his only wins and he eventually finished second equal with Vladimir Kramnik, behind world number one Magnus Carlsen.
Today's game is Shirov's brilliant win from the third round, playing Black against Sergei Tiviakov of the Netherlands.
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Bc4 e6 5.Nge2 Nf6 6.O-O a6 7.d3 b5
Instead of the usual sharp Sicilian variations, White has prepared a sort of hybrid Closed/Rossolimo Sicilian, where the idea is to avoid central pawn exchanges with d2-d3 having put the light-bishop outside the pawn chain. Black now grabs the bishop pair and takes the long diagonal for his unopposed bishop. 8.Bb3 Nxb3 9.axb3 Bb7 10.f4 d5 11.e5 d4!?
The following exchanges activate Black's rook and bishop against the g2 square, at the cost of a safe shelter for his king – a typical Shirov decision. 12.exf6 dxc3 13.fxg7 Bxg7 14.bxc3 Rg8! 15.Rf2 Bxc3 16.Nxc3 Qd4
Recouping the knight as 17...Rxg2+ is threatened. 17.Kf1 Qxc3 18.Ra2 Qd4
The queen comes back to it's magnificent central post before it gets sidelined by 19 Bb2. 19.Qh5 c4!
Now the queen is entrenched on d4 (If 20 Bb2 c3). 20.bxc4 bxc4 21.Ra4 Bd5 22.f5 e5 23.Qxh7?! ---
Losing a vital tempo.Instead 23 Qh6! Kd7 24 Be3 keeps Black out. 23.--- Kd7 24.Qh6? ---
Now the fireworks begin.The last chance was 24 f6! allowing the queen to defend g2 with a tempo. E.g. 24...Rab8 25 Qh3+ Kc7 26 Qe3 Qxe3 27 Bxe3 cxd3 28 cxd3 Bxg2+! 29 Ke2 Rb2+ regaining the pawn with the initiative but not yet winning. 24.--- Bxg2+!! 25.Ke1 ---
Or 25 Rxg2 Rxg2 26 Kxg2 Rg8+ 27 Kf3 (27 Bg5 Qg4+ 28 Kf2 Rxg5 29 Rxc4 Rxf5+ 30 Ke3 Qg2! wins the queen or mates) e4+ 28 dxe4 Qd1+ 29 Kf2 Qg1+ 30 Kf3 Qf1+ 31 Ke3 Qxc1+ winning the queen. 25.--- Bd5 26.Ba3 ---
Leading to a merry king hunt ending in mate, but 26 Rf1 Rg1 also wins for Black, if more prosaically: 27 Qe3 Qh4+ 28 Qf2 Qxf2+ 29 Kxf2 Rg2+ 30 Ke3 Rh8! (threat: 31... Rh3+) 31 Rf2 Rxf2+ 32 Kxf2 Rxh2+ 33 Ke3 Rxc2 etc. 26.--- Rg1+ 27.Ke2 Qg4+ 28.Ke3 Re1+ 29.Kd2 Qd1+ 30.Kc3 Qa1+ 31.Kb4 Rb1+ White resigns
0-1
Solution: 1 Rxh7+! Kxh7 2 Bg7+ (or B any except g5) Qh5 3 Qxh5#.
Shirov fires up Corus
Problem: White to play and mate in three.
Although now playing for Spain, the Latvian-born Alexei Shirov's firey sacrificial style is still very reminiscent of another great Latvian, ex-world champion Mikhail Tal. Shirov set a scorching pace in the Corus A tournament at Wijk Aan Zee last month, starting with five straight wins. Some bad luck in the remainder of the event meant these were his only wins and he eventually finished second equal with Vladimir Kramnik, behind world number one Magnus Carlsen.
Today's game is Shirov's brilliant win from the third round, playing Black against Sergei Tiviakov of the Netherlands.
1.e4 c5
2.Nc3 Nc6
3.Bb5 Nd4
4.Bc4 e6
5.Nge2 Nf6
6.O-O a6
7.d3 b5
Instead of the usual sharp Sicilian variations, White has prepared a sort of hybrid Closed/Rossolimo Sicilian, where the idea is to avoid central pawn exchanges with d2-d3 having put the light-bishop outside the pawn chain. Black now grabs the bishop pair and takes the long diagonal for his unopposed bishop.
8.Bb3 Nxb3
9.axb3 Bb7
10.f4 d5
11.e5 d4!?
The following exchanges activate Black's rook and bishop against the g2 square, at the cost of a safe shelter for his king – a typical Shirov decision.
12.exf6 dxc3
13.fxg7 Bxg7
14.bxc3 Rg8!
15.Rf2 Bxc3
16.Nxc3 Qd4
Recouping the knight as 17...Rxg2+ is threatened.
17.Kf1 Qxc3
18.Ra2 Qd4
The queen comes back to it's magnificent central post before it gets sidelined by 19 Bb2.
19.Qh5 c4!
Now the queen is entrenched on d4 (If 20 Bb2 c3).
20.bxc4 bxc4
21.Ra4 Bd5
22.f5 e5
23.Qxh7?! ---
Losing a vital tempo.Instead 23 Qh6! Kd7 24 Be3 keeps Black out.
23.--- Kd7
24.Qh6? ---
Now the fireworks begin.The last chance was 24 f6! allowing the queen to defend g2 with a tempo. E.g. 24...Rab8 25 Qh3+ Kc7 26 Qe3 Qxe3 27 Bxe3 cxd3 28 cxd3 Bxg2+! 29 Ke2 Rb2+ regaining the pawn with the initiative but not yet winning.
24.--- Bxg2+!!
25.Ke1 ---
Or 25 Rxg2 Rxg2 26 Kxg2 Rg8+ 27 Kf3 (27 Bg5 Qg4+ 28 Kf2 Rxg5 29 Rxc4 Rxf5+ 30 Ke3 Qg2! wins the queen or mates) e4+ 28 dxe4 Qd1+ 29 Kf2 Qg1+ 30 Kf3 Qf1+ 31 Ke3 Qxc1+ winning the queen.
25.--- Bd5
26.Ba3 ---
Leading to a merry king hunt ending in mate, but 26 Rf1 Rg1 also wins for Black, if more prosaically: 27 Qe3 Qh4+ 28 Qf2 Qxf2+ 29 Kxf2 Rg2+ 30 Ke3 Rh8! (threat: 31... Rh3+) 31 Rf2 Rxf2+ 32 Kxf2 Rxh2+ 33 Ke3 Rxc2 etc.
26.--- Rg1+
27.Ke2 Qg4+
28.Ke3 Re1+
29.Kd2 Qd1+
30.Kc3 Qa1+
31.Kb4 Rb1+
White resigns
0-1
Solution: 1 Rxh7+! Kxh7 2 Bg7+ (or B any except g5) Qh5 3 Qxh5#.